Breaking the Horizon
by tightrope-inthe-closet
Summary: What do you do when you meet that one person who makes you question everything you've ever known to be true about yourself and about the world around you? Mitchsen/High School AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is my first multi-chapter story. Bear with me here.**

 **Mitchsen**

 **High Shool AU**

* * *

Beca threw the covers back as she jerked awake at the blaring of the broken alarm clock sitting on the beat up nightstand. She glared at the infernal device for daring to interrupt her blessed rest that seemed so far and few between these days. Her staring contest was broken as she startled at the sound of the front door slamming shut. Her foster dad. Thank god this one actually had a job so she didn't have to deal with him this early.

She scrubbed a hand over face before moving towards the hall bathroom to shower. _First day of senior year, Woo-fucking-hoo._ The brunette grumbled to herself as she brushed her teeth while waiting for the water to warm up. It never did.

* * *

As she finished getting dressed in a t-shirt and faded jeans, Beca literally wrestled her off-brand sneakers that were way too small onto her feet. After emerging victorious, she grabbed her bag from the foot of the bed and headed downstairs.

As she passed through the living room she barely spared a glance at her foster mother who was passed out drunk on the couch at 6:00 in the morning. She made a quick stop in the kitchen to check for food. She looked in the empty cabinets and fridge to see if the drunkards had purchased anything other than booze on their last "grocery store" outing. They hadn't.

She sighed before walking out the front door and starting the walk to Wood Lake High School. _There's not even a fucking lake around here._

As she walked through the downtown area, she came across a small diner situated right along Main Street. She had a couple bucks in her backpack and figured she could make up lost time by running the rest of the way to school. She entered the diner, a bell over the door announcing her arrival, and grabbed a seat in a corner booth.

A nice looking blonde in her middle ages approached her not long after she sat down. "Hello, welcome to Thomas' Diner, my name is Elaine. What can I get you?"

Beca doesn't even look at the menu. Why would she when she doesn't have the money for most of it? "Uh, just black coffee and toast."

"That doesn't sound like much, sweetie. You sure that's all you want?" The older blonde asks in a motherly way that Beca finds just a bit intrusive.

"Uh, yeah, that's plenty." Beca smiles politely at the woman.

"Well okay, I'll be right back with that."

As Elaine walked back towards the kitchen, Beca's eyes landed on a table towards the front of the restaurant. She watched as the group of teens gathered around the table got up to leave. She was so enraptured in her spying she didn't even notice Elaine had placed her order in front of her until the woman had walked away towards the group. Most of the group had filed out the door by now but a blonde and redhead lagged behind.

Beca ate her toast as she watched the blonde kiss Elaine on the cheek, "Bye, mama. I'll be back after school to help out." A pang of envy shot through Beca at the scene between mother and daughter but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Alright, honey. Have a good day. I love you. Bye, Chloe."

The redhead gave a wave as she and the blonde headed out the door. The blonde called over her shoulder, "Love you, too. Tell daddy bye for me please."

Beca glanced at the clock on the wall and quickly chugged the rest of her coffee when she noticed she only had twenty minutes before school started. She threw just enough money on the table to cover her breakfast and a tip and ran out the door. Elaine stared after the brunette as she began to run down the street.

* * *

Arriving at the school with only three minutes to spare, Beca rushed to the front office to pick up her schedule. As she walked into the front office, she was met with a glaring receptionist. "Can I help you?" the lady asked.

"Um, I need to get my schedule."

"Name?"

"Rebeca Mitchell," the brunette responded, raising an eyebrow at the woman's rudeness.

The receptionist printed it out and handed it to Beca without speaking another word. As she walked out of the office, Beca ran straight into someone else. "Oh shit. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You must be new. I'm Jesse."

"Beca. What gave me away?"

"You actually apologized. I don't know if you've noticed but this place is populated by jerks and douches. Not many of them have manners." The guy says jokingly. "Actually most of the town is. Anyway, what's your first class? I can help you find it."

Beca glances at her schedule. "English, with Mrs. Rowe."

Jesse grins before responding, "Awesome. We have that class together."

He turns and begins to walk down the hallway and Beca quickly falls into step next to him. "So, where are you from?"

"South Georgia," Beca responds as they come to a stop outside the doorway of a classroom.

"Here it is. Come on," Jesse leads her into the classroom. He smiles at the teacher as he goes to take a seat at a desk in the second row.

Mrs. Rowe is a tall woman in her late thirties who smiles entirely too much to be a high school teacher. Beca approaches her to introduce herself.

Mrs. Rowe sees Beca just as she finishes speaking to another student. "Hi, you must be Beca. The principal sent an email saying you would be starting today."

"Uh, yeah," Beca responds, not at all comfortable with such a friendly individual.

"Don't worry. Overall this is a pretty laid back class. There's no assigned seating so just grab a seat wherever you're comfortable."

Beca gives a single nod before heading to the back of the room, ignoring Jesse as he gestures at her to sit at the empty desk to his left.

She slouches down in the seat, silently watching as more students shuffle into the room. She recognizes the blonde and the redhead- _wait, the waitress called her Chloe-_ from the diner as they enter the room and sit in the very first row. Chloe sits in front Jesse after pecking him on the lips.

She noticed the blonde's eyes scan the room and pause momentarily to glare at her. Beca simply smirked back. The blonde's glare intensified before she turned to sit down.

Beca slouches even further down in her seat as Mrs. Rowe begins the class.

* * *

The previous events continue in similar fashion as she goes from class to class. Eventually, the day drags on into the afternoon. Jesse finally gave up on his attempts at befriending Beca when she once again ignored him at lunch. He had tried to call her over to the lunch table he shared with Chloe and the blonde that Mrs. Rowe had addressed as Aubrey. Instead she chose a nearly empty table at the far wall of the lunchroom. Since she didn't have lunch money anyway, she ended up leaving the cafeteria and going to the library about halfway through her lunch period. She had found a quiet alcove in the library and dozed off until the bell to go back to class rang.

When the final bell had rung, she joined the herd of students shuffling out the front doors. She drew her bag higher on her back as she began the long walk to her house. She took her time as she wasn't necessarily stoked about having to see her foster parents. At least this placement wasn't too bad. They just drank a lot, forgot to buy food, and generally forgot she even existed.

She once again passed the diner she had stopped at this morning. She noticed the "Now Hiring" sign posted in the window and decided she might as well see about it. After all, the bastards she lived with weren't going to give up precious booze money to buy food and she had to eat at some point.

The bell announced her arrival once again and she sat at the counter this time. Elaine came out from the kitchen. "Hey again, sweetie. What can I get you?"

"Uh, actually, I'm here to see about maybe getting a job."

"Oh, ok. Give me a minute. I'll get my husband, Thomas," Elaine seems genuinely excited about the prospect as she disappears behind the swinging doors of the kitchen.

She comes back a moment later followed by a tall, dark haired middle-aged man.

"Hello. Thomas Posen." He wipes his hands on the towel draped over his shoulder before offering a hand to Beca.

She quickly shakes his hand. "Beca Mitchell."

"So, I hear your looking for a job."

"Yes, sir."

"Can you pour coffee?"

"Um, yes," Beca arches an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"Can you carry plates?"

"…Yes"

"Perfect. You're hired."

Beca stares at the man in shock. Elaine stands looking at them both with an amused expression on her face.

"Seriously?! You're like not gonna ask if I've ever been in prison or something?"

"Have you ever been in prison?"

"No, but-"

Thomas cuts her off, "You're hired. I like to pride myself on being a pretty good judge of character and I feel like I can trust you. Can you start now?"

Still in shock, Beca answers, "Yeah, sure."

Thomas smiles at the girl before heading back to the kitchen. Elaine chuckles as the brunette stares after him in shock. "Come on, I'll show you around."

She leads Beca to the back room, where she stashes her backpack, before leading her into the kitchen. "So this is where you pick up orders and then you take them to the table. It's pretty simple." She leads Beca back out to the counter and shows her how to work the register. She shows her how to quickly write down orders and gives her an apron.

"Chloe and Aubrey should be coming in any minute now. You'll cover the booths in that section." Elaine gestures to the booths on the left side of the door.

"Aubrey will cover the other half, Chloe will cover the center, and I'll cover the counter. I'll also be in the kitchen helping Thomas out when he needs it, so if you need anything just give a shout or come find me, okay?"

Beca nods as she ties the apron around her waist and puts her order pad and pen in her pocket. Elaine smiles back at her until her attention is drawn to the door as Aubrey and Chloe enter. "Hey, girls, how was school?"

"It was fine, Mama. There's a new girl though, she seems a little-"

Aubrey cuts herself off as she notices Beca standing there smirking at her. "I seem a little what?"

"Weird." Aubrey finishes. Beca simply continues smirking in that manner that is really beginning to annoy Aubrey.

"Aubrey Posen," Elaine scolds.

Chloe just laughs. "Weird can be a good thing. Weird is cute," Chloe pipes up with a wink.

"It can be, but that's not what I meant."

Elaine glares at Aubrey. Beca's smirk never fails but her eyes do hold less of a mischievous sparkle and have dulled with the slight sting of hurt.

She watches as Aubrey and Chloe head behind the counter to grab their own aprons. She sighs before letting herself get lost in her head as she goes about setting up the tables for the dinner rush.

* * *

By the end of the day, Beca is exhausted. She made a pretty solid amount in tips so she stops at a grocery store on her way home and grabs a sandwich from the deli. She eats as she walks and by the time she actually makes it home it's well past 11:00. She bypasses the living room where she knows her "guardians" will be passed out. She goes straight to her room, doesn't even bother turning the light on, and collapses face first on her bed. She just barely remembers to set her alarm before falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Over the next couple weeks, Beca and Chloe form a tumultuous friendship. In other words, Beca will now hold an actual conversation rather than giving one word answers.

Aubrey has finally stopped glaring at her, but they still don't interact much. Well, not beyond Beca finding herself watching Aubrey when she isn't looking, and the blonde doing the same to Beca. Though this too changes one night.

On Friday nights, the diner stays open later—until 12:00 a.m. All three girls and Aubrey's parents are working that night; however Beca is the only one to actually witness the scene.

Aubrey was clearing the last table of the night which consisted of a particularly rowdy group of college guys. It's when she leans over to grab the empty plate from the guy sitting on the inside of the booth that she feels the hand touch her backside. The plate clatters to the table as she stands straight up and stares at the unbelievably crass idiot in shock.

Beca had been clearing one of her own tables when she happened to glance up and notice the smug look on the guy's face right as he began to lift his hand towards Aubrey's ass. She stood still for only a second before storming over to the table.

Aubrey's stupor is broken as Beca arrives next to her cocking back her fist and slamning it into the guy's nose.

Aubrey's parents and Chloe had come running out of the kitchen at the noise of the dropped plate. They stood in total shock as they saw the guy slouched in the booth holding his bleeding nose and Beca standing next to the booth doubled over in pain as she cradled her bruising fist. Aubrey just stood at the head of table looking between the two in awe.

Thomas quickly took control of the situation. "What the living hell is going on out here?" he bellowed over the two's pained cries.

"This bitch just fucking punched me in the face," the jerk shouted.

Beca's eyes glinted with anger. "Because he totally just touched Aubrey's ass."

Thomas looked at Aubrey to confirm Beca's story. She nodded before glaring at the guy in the booth.

"All of you get out of my restaurant. Now!"

The guys shuffled out of the booth. The quiet guy that had been sitting beside the jerk was the only one to hesitate in leaving.

At the door, he turned, "I'm really sorry about my brother. He totally deserved that punch. I promise you'll never see us again."

Thomas simply nodded once and the guy took his exit.

They all turned to look at Beca who was still cradling her hand. "Why does no one tell you that punching someone hurts that fucking much?"

Elaine smiled at Beca. "Go sit at the counter. I want to look at that hand. And also, I don't appreciate the language."

Thomas laughs and claps Beca on the shoulder as he goes back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Beca looks sheepish as she goes to the counter and climbs up onto a stool. Chloe follows Thomas into the kitchen to get some ice.

Elaine walks around the counter. She makes Beca lay her wrist flat out on the counter before she begins poking and prodding at Beca's swelling fingers and bruised knuckles. "Well I don't think you broke anything other than that boy's nose," the older blonde concludes with a chuckle.

Beca hisses as Chloe comes back and gently places a dishrag full of ice on top of Beca's hand. "Sorry." Just then a car horn honks outside the diner. They all turn to see Jesse leaning out the driver's window of his pickup, grinning and waving. The three of them wave back as Chloe takes off her apron. "Bye guys. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Bye, Chlo. I'll call you in the morning."

"Okay." The redhead calls cheerily as she heads out the door and kisses Jesse through his window before going around the front of the truck to get in the passenger's side.

The first thing she says as she settles in the bucket seat is: "You'll never guess what Beca just did."

* * *

Finally, they are actually closing the diner. Beca gets ready to begin her walk but Aubrey stops her.

"Beca, wait. I can give you a ride home."

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I don't want to bother you."

"Beca. Get in the truck," Aubrey commands as she points to her gray Dodge pickup.

Beca smiles at her before getting in as Aubrey slides into the driver's seat.

* * *

As they drive through the town, they are mostly quiet until Beca just has to ask a question.

"Why did you hate me when we first met?"

Aubrey looks at her in confusion. "I never hated you. I didn't particularly like you but I didn't hate you."

"Sure didn't seem that way."

Aubrey pulls up to the curb at the house that Beca indicates as hers. It's a rundown two-story house. The porch railing obviously needs a new coat of paint, the shutters are faded and some are broken, and the grass appears to have not been cut in quite a few weeks. She unbuckles her seat belt and turns in her seat to face Beca. "It wasn't you that I didn't like. I hate change. I like having a routine and sticking to it."

Beca grins at her and can't refuse the urge to tease her a bit. "Is that why you called me weird? Because I was a change?"

Aubrey looks at her thoughtfully. "That was part of it."

Beca's curiosity has been piqued. "And the other part?"

Aubrey leans closer as she speaks. "I didn't like it because you made a change in _me_. You made me realize something about myself that I already knew but refused to acknowledge."

Beca stares at the blonde whose face was now only a few inches away. "And what was that?"

Maybe she was still on an adrenaline high from the event at the diner. Maybe she had just given up on trying to lie to herself. Aubrey doesn't know exactly what made her do it. She just knows she had to.

Aubrey's gaze shifts between the blue of Beca's eyes and the bow of her lips as she responds. "I like girls. And I really like you." The last statement is said on a whisper as she leans in and captures Beca's bottom lip between her own. They continue to kiss for a few moments before finally separating.

When they break apart, Aubrey watches Beca's eyes for a reaction. "Go on a date with me?"

Beca's grinning now, wider than she has in a long time. "Yes."

Aubrey grins back. "Tomorrow night. I'll get my brother to cover our shifts after the dinner rush."

Beca grins as she unbuckles and reaches for the door handle. Aubrey stops her and kisses her one last time. "Sorry. I couldn't resist." She lets Beca get out of the truck this time and watches to make sure she makes it into the house before pulling away from the curb. A huge grin making her cheeks hurt.

* * *

The next day the diner is relatively busy since it is a Saturday. There is a constant flow of customers so the two don't actually get to talk much. They make up for this in the knowing glances and shy, flirty smiles they cast at each other as they move from table to table.

At 8:00, Brandon Posen walks through the door. By just looking, you would never know the two were siblings. Older by two years, Brandon had obviously gotten a strong share of Thomas's genes as he had dark hair and stood well over 6 feet tall.

Brandon was the "rebellious" child. (Well, as rebellious as it got in the Posen family). After graduation, rather than working in his parents' diner, Brandon had chosen to bum it for awhile in his parents' basement as he worked on his burgeoning art career. He was actually a really great painter. Not that Aubrey would ever be the one to tell him that though. (The two had a great relationship; she just wouldn't want him to get a big head and all.)

"Hey, Bree. I'm here to take over. Get out of here. Go do whatever it is you weirdoes do."

"Thanks, Brandon. Ready to go Becs?"

"Yeah. Just give me a minute." Beca went to the back room to grab her stuff and put her apron away.

"So, is she the hot date you just _had_ to get out of here early for?" Brandon teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows as he took Aubrey's apron as she offered it and tied it around his own waist. Brandon had been the one she went to when she first started realizing she wasn't straight. He, Chloe, and Jesse were the only ones that knew she was a lesbian.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Yes, but don't tell mom and dad."

"Bree, you know they wouldn't care."

"I know. I just...I feel like it would change the way they look at me."

"Sis, nothing could change the fact that they just want you to be happy."

Just then Beca came back right as Elaine came out from the kitchen. Beca went to stand by Aubrey.

"We're heading out now Mama. I'll probably be late tonight."

"Alright. Have fun girls."

The two waved as they went out the door.

* * *

Aubrey pulled into the driveway of her house. "Come on in. I just have to grab a few things and we'll head out."

She led Beca into the one story ranch style house. Beca followed her past the homey living room and into the kitchen. She took a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar as Aubrey moved about the space.

She watched silently as Aubrey pulled a basket out from under a counter and began filling it with containers from the fridge. Suddenly, the blonde paused.

"You do like sandwiches, right?" Aubrey asked with a slightly panicked tone as she realized she hadn't even asked Beca what she liked. Beca simply smiled as she nodded her head.

Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I just realized I failed to create a backup plan." She resumed pulling things out of the fridge and making the meal. As she made the sandwiches she kept pausing to see if Beca liked an ingredient before adding it. She was slightly offended when Beca said she didn't like mustard.

"How do you not like mustard? That's comparable to not liking water. It's essential to the sandwich."

"That's nothing like not liking water," Beca gave her an amused look. "Mustard is fine. Just not on a sandwich."

"I stand by my earlier comment that you are indeed weird."

Beca chuckled as she watched the blonde finish packing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where are we going?" Beca asked for the fourth time since they had gotten back in the truck.

"That's the surprise." Aubrey steadfastly refused to reveal their destination.

Beca glared playfully at the side of the blonde's head. Aubrey glanced at her and laughed before reaching over to pull the brunette's hand into her own lap.

"Just chill. You're gonna love it. I promise."

Fifteen minutes later, Aubrey pulled the truck off the back road and onto a wooded dirt road.

"Are we out here because you secretly really do hate me after all and are planning to kill me?"

Aubrey chuckled. "No, Beca. We are out here because it's quiet and we can talk."

She backed the truck into a little shaded alcove situated right on the edge of a large clearing. As they both hopped out, Aubrey could see in Beca's eyes that she had made good on her earlier promise and that Beca did indeed like the space.

"We aren't like trespassing or anything, right?"

"No. This is the back of my grandparent's property. I called Papa earlier and told him I would be out here tonight."

There was a small creek cutting through the area, filling the alcove with the calming sound of running water.

"I like to come out here and think sometimes. Just get away from my family for a bit," Aubrey explained as she climbed into the truck bed. She opened the truck tool box and pulled out a blanket. She spread it out in the bottom of the truck bed and pulled a couple of pillows out of the box as well.

"Hand me the basket."

Beca handed it to her as she chuckled. "Wow. You were really prepared for this weren't you?"

Aubrey blushed. "Hush, you. Get up here."

Aubrey offered Beca her hand as she stepped up onto the bumper and over the tailgate. They both kicked their shoes off and got comfortable as they leaned back against the toolbox.

Aubrey pulled the basket to her side and began pulling out the contents. She paused when she pulled out the sandwiches. "I really should have marked which is which. Here just check them. Mine will be the one with mustard, since you're weird and all." She teases as she hands the sandwiches to Beca and continues to unpack.

Once Beca has the sandwich issue figured out she looks at everything the blonde has laid out in front of them: pasta salad, three different kinds of chips, a bowl of mixed fruit, and a container full of chocolate chip cookies.

"As cute as it is, this is a little over the top. This is a lot of food for two people."

Aubrey blushes as she sheepishly rubs the back of her neck. "I wasn't sure what you would like."

"It's perfect," Beca assures as she leans over and kisses Aubrey on the cheek.

* * *

When they finish eating, they pack everything back into the basket and lay side by side on the blanket, gazing up at the night sky through the gaps in the trees.

"So, you've met my crazy family. And unfortunately for you, you've trapped yourself in spending time with them. What's your family like?"

"I like your family. Your mom is amazing."

"You should have grown up with them. They can be downright embarrassing when they want to be. And other times they care too much. But, stop changing the subject. What's your family like?"

Beca sighs as she focuses her sight on a single star. "I don't know."

"You mean you guys aren't close?"

"I don't even know them. My parents died when I was a year old. Car wreck. They hydroplaned and hit a telephone pole."

"Beca, I'm so sorry. We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

Beca blew out a ragged breath. "I haven't talked to anyone about this. But something just draws me to you. I know I can trust you. It feels good to talk to you."

Aubrey smiled softly at her before kissing her gently. "So talk. I'm here to listen."

Beca pauses for a moment before continuing.

"I stayed with my mom's sister for a while after that. But they never really got along so I didn't know her that well. She put me in the foster system before I turned two. I've been in and out of foster homes ever since."

Aubrey didn't know what to say to this.

"This one is number seven."

"What's it like?"

"It's not always horrible. Some places actually do it to help. Other places just do it for the check."

"What about this one?"

"Booze money. I haven't seen either Mike or Lisa, they're my foster parents by the way, sober since my social worker dropped me off."

Aubrey turned on her side and propped her head against her palm. Beca remained staring at the sky.

"What's it like to have a family?" she whispered into the night air.

Aubrey smiled sadly. "They're amazing. Supportive. Loving. Everything I could ever ask for."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they both laid flat on their backs; their hands wound up laced together between them and they watched the stars together.

* * *

As Aubrey pulled to the curb, they both unbuckled and turned to face each other.

"Hey Beca?" Aubrey asked with a grin.

"Hey Aubrey?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Beca pretended to think about it. "Well, I don't know. Your brother was kinda cute."

Aubrey's jaw dropped open in shock.

Beca laughed as she leaned over the console and kissed blonde. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend."

"Are you aware that I can't trust you with my brother now?"

Beca laughed once again. "Bree, I'm about as straight as a bowl of Fruit Loops. The only interest I have in your brother is that he is related to you."

Aubrey laughed at Beca's cereal analogy and looked at the clock on the dash. 11:42.

"Shit. I've gotta get home, babe. My mom will be mad if I'm any later."

Their lips met over the console for one last kiss.

"Thank you for tonight," Beca whispered before getting out of the car.

"Beca," Aubrey called through the open window as the brunette began to walk away. The brunette turned and walked back towards the truck.

"Promise you'll call me if anything happens. You said they were only in it for the money. I don't trust them."

Beca smiled at her. "I promise. Goodnight, Aubrey."

"Goodnight."

Once again, the blonde waited until Beca had closed the front door behind her before driving away.

* * *

It was almost midnight by the time Aubrey pulled into her own driveway. She entered the house to find her mother sitting on the brown leather sectional sofa with a book in hand.

She shut the door and tossed her bag on the coffee table before sitting next to her mother and curling into her side. Elaine closed her book and set it down on the arm of the sofa before wrapping an arm around her daughter.

"How was your date with Beca?"

Aubrey looked her mother in shock. "Did Brandon tell you?"

"No. You two aren't as subtle with checking each other out as you would like to think."

"You don't…have a problem with it?"

"Not at all. Whatever makes you happy is what your father and I want for you. Now, how was your date?"

"It was wonderful. She's amazing."

"Yeah? Will there be another?"

"I hope so considering she's my girlfriend."

"I knew it! Thomas, you and Chloe both owe me twenty bucks!" Elaine called through the house.

Aubrey stared at her mother. "You two were betting on whether or not Beca and I would get together?"

"No. We bet on _when_ you and Beca would get together. I didn't think it would happen until after the end of the month," Thomas grumbled as he came out of the hallway leading to the master bedroom, clad in a white t-shirt and plaid lounge pants, with wallet in hand. He handed Elaine a twenty dollar bill before plopping down in the recliner and turning on the television.

"I can't believe you people."

"Well, believe it. See, never doubt a mother. I know my own children," Elaine lectured Thomas.

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I still won the bet about Thomas dropping out of college."

"Who are you people?" Aubrey asked in disbelief.

"I said the same thing when I heard them all making the bet," Brandon said as he came up from the basement to join his family. He sat on the end of the sectional not occupied by his mother and sister.

"You kids are old enough to see the gambling addicted sides of your parents now," Thomas deadpanned.

The siblings rolled their eyes as they all turned their attention to where an old sitcom played on the television.

Aubrey sighed before standing up and heading toward the hallway. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, guys."

Elaine stopped her. "Aubrey, sweetie is everything okay? You've got that look you get when you're thinking too hard."

Aubrey stood still for a moment before walking back to the sofa. This time however, she chose to curl up in her mother's lap.

Thomas rose from the recliner and went to sit with his family. Brandon scooted closer so that he was next to his father. They all looked at Aubrey in concern.

"Thank you," Aubrey whispered.

"For what, sweet-pea?" Thomas asked.

"Everything," she paused before continuing. "Beca and I were talking tonight. She lives with foster parents."

"She's adopted?" Elaine asked, shocked at the news.

"No. She's part of the foster system. Her parents died when she was little." She intentionally leaves out the part about Beca's aunt. After all, she doesn't want to betray Beca's trust.

"So just… thank you for always being there for us. For loving us," she lets her voice trail off.

Elaine tightens her arms around the girl. "It's our job, baby. It's part of being a parent. We'd do anything to see you two happy."

At this, Thomas puts his arms around his family as they sit in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

The next week in school is a strange one for Beca. She's not used to having people talk to her in school. Her normal practice for surviving the school week is sticking to herself and slipping under the radar. Dating one of the most popular girls in the school doesn't really allow you the liberty of anonymity.

But at least Aubrey is adjusting to her rather than forcing her into a role she just can't make herself fit.

* * *

In first period, Beca takes her normal seat in the back corner of the room. She sticks her ear buds in and turns up her music in preparation for another class period of ignoring the teacher.

It's not that she doesn't care about school. She actually does. But moving around so much, she doesn't understand the curriculum from school to school. She has always either already learned this or they are speaking about topics no teacher of hers has ever taught before. The whole thing just seems kind of pointless to her. If she pays too much attention she just starts feeling kind of hopeless from the lack of understanding, so why even bother listening at all?

She gets startled when she feels someone pull one of her ear buds out. She gets ready to tell the person off but stops when she sees Aubrey standing in front of her.

"Hey, baby," Aubrey leans down and pecks her on the lips before sitting in the desk next to her. In the weeks that Beca has known her, the blonde has never sat anywhere other than the same desk in the front row.

"What are you doing?"

"Um…sitting next to my girlfriend. I would think she would be a bit happier to see me."

"I'm thrilled to see you," Beca grins. She really is. It's just strange to see someone do something for her instead of the other way around.

* * *

The same thing happens at lunch. She buys her food and walks out into the table filled room to see the blonde sitting at Beca's usual table. She goes over to the table and sits next to her.

"What are you doing over here, babe?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? Do you not want to sit next to me?"

"What…no…I mean…of course I want to sit with you. But wouldn't you rather sit with Chloe and Jesse?"

"Do you want to sit with them?"

"Not particularly. But if you want to you can. I don't mind."

"I want to sit with you."

"Well, okay then."

When she finishes eating and tells Aubrey she is going to the library, she expects the blonde to go sit with Chloe and Jesse. This is why she is completely surprised when the blonde stands as well and laces their fingers together. "Lead the way," she says with that adorable smile of hers.

They exit the lunchroom and head to the library. Beca leads the way to the secluded corner and they both sit at the table. Not much is said during the lunch period and but they both revel in having the other sitting next to them as they read. That's how Beca came to consider it as "their corner" rather than "her corner."

* * *

The same pattern continues for a couple weeks. Aubrey constantly finding ways to show the brunette she cared. Finding ways to show the brunette that she wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. They would spend lunch together and head to the library to sit in silence and hold hands under the table.

Beca is adjusting to having someone constantly with her. She's found that she rather likes having someone to talk to. She has never really been the relationship type or even the friend making type, so she's pleasantly surprised to find that she likes the normalcy of it. She likes having the blonde next to her. In fact she loves it. Or maybe it's the blonde that she loves…

* * *

Beca can already tell it's going to be a horrible day. Her alarm clock failed to go off this morning forcing her to rush through most of her morning routine. Couple this with the fact that she had spent the night tossing and turning with a headache and the brunette's face is practically a billboard advertising her desire to murder.

In first block she takes her regular seat and just lays her head down on the top of the desk. She doesn't even lift her head as Aubrey comes in. The blonde kneels next to her desk.

"Hey, baby. What's wrong?"

She still doesn't lift her head as she responds. "My head is throbbing."

Aubrey's brow furrows and the corners of her lips quirk in concern. She makes Beca lift her head so she can feel her forehead. "I don't think you have a fever. But if it hurts that bad, why don't you just go home baby? I can give you a ride."

"Because listening to those idiots yelling and clanking bottles all day will just make it worse."

Aubrey sighed as she stood and placed a kiss on the back of Beca's head. She sat in her seat but continued to rub a hand up and down the brunette's back until the bell rings and the teacher begins the class.

* * *

By lunch time her head feels no better. She doesn't eat and not long after entering the lunchroom, she is desperate to escape it. The cacophonous roar of everyone talking is too much for her pounding head. As soon as Aubrey arrives, she grabs the blonde's hand and begins to lead her to the quiet of the library.

They are almost to the door before they get stopped.

Wood Lake High School is full of jerks. Beca knew this. She's been to plenty of schools that were full of jerks. She just has never had any personal encounters with them. That just changed.

Richard Stowe, one of the basketball jocks, has just intentionally slammed himself into the brunette's front. Unfortunately for Beca, he had been carrying an open bottle of Coke which he had just crushed against the front of her shirt. Richard just took a step back before smirking down at the brunette. "Watch where you're going, dyke," he sneers before going back to his group of friends and high-fiving a few of them.

Aubrey stood in shock. Beca quickly dropped the blonde's hand as she ran out of the cafeteria. She snapped out of it as she shoved past the jock to chase after her girlfriend. The last thing she notices as she exits the cafeteria is Jesse making his way over to the jock with a furious glint in his eyes.

She makes a quick stop at her locker to grab her sweatshirt that has the school's logo on the front. She sends Chloe a text asking her to get their things and meet them. She finds the brunette in the bathroom across the hall from the library.

Beca leans against the counter, her palms pressed flat against the surface. She has tears streaking down her face.

Aubrey doesn't say a word as she comes to stand next to the brunette. She gently grabs her wrist and pulls the smaller girl to face her. She pulls the girl into her arms, not caring that her own shirt is getting stained. "It's okay. You're okay," she murmurs as Beca presses her forehead against the blonde's neck.

She feels the feverish heat coming off of Beca's forehead. "Come on, baby. Let's get you changed and get out of here."

She leads the shorter girl into a stall and helps her take the soiled shirt off and swap it for the sweatshirt. She places a hand on the small of her back and leads her out of the stall and out of the restroom.

Chloe meets them in the hallway. "Thanks Chlo. Beca isn't feeling well so I'm gonna take her home. Can you cover our shifts tonight? I'll send Brandon to help out."

Chloe smile at the duo. "Yeah, of course. Go ahead. I hope you feel better, Beca."

Beca simply nods without lifting her gaze from the floor. Chloe gives Aubrey a reassuring wink and watches the pair as they walk away.

* * *

After stopping at the front office and signing them both out to avoid getting in trouble, Aubrey leads them to the truck and opens the door for her girlfriend. She waits as Beca climbs into the truck and buckles. She gently closes the door mindful of Beca's aching head. She walks around the truck and hops up into the driver's seat.

Before pulling out of the parking space, she sends a quick text to her mother: **Beca doesn't feel well. I'm taking her back to the house. Neither one of us is coming in to work today. Chloe knows and I'll text Brandon.** She sends another text to Brandon asking him to cover their shifts at the diner before dropping her phone into the cup holder and glancing at Beca. The brunette has her head tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed. Aubrey sighs as she pulls out of the parking lot and heads home.

* * *

She leads the brunette into the house and to her bedroom. She goes to her dresser and pulls out a pair of running shorts and an old oversized t-shirt before turning back to the brunette and holding them out. "Here, sweetie, let's get comfortable and we'll lay down for a bit."

They both change and Aubrey leaves the room as Beca lies down on the full sized bed. She snuggles down under the black sheets. When Aubrey comes back into the room she sets something on the nightstand and tells her to sit up, Beca gives her an 'are-you-fucking-serious' look. Aubrey just laughs and looks back at her expectantly. Beca finally caves and sits up, leaning back tiredly against the headboard. Aubrey sticks a digital thermometer in her mouth and sits on the side of the bed, next to her. When it beeps, she takes it from the brunette's mouth and checks it. "100.8"

She hands her the glass of water from the nightstand and two ibuprofen tablets.

When Beca concedes and takes the medicine, Aubrey walks around the bed and climbs in on the other side. They meet in the middle, turning to face each other. Aubrey slides her left arm under Beca's head and drapes her right over her waist, pulling the smaller girl's body flush against her own.

She closes her eyes and revels in the closeness. Even as Beca's breath evens out in sleep, she tightens her grip on the girl. She eventually lets the pull of sleep claim her.

* * *

The slam of the front door wakes Aubrey. Beca is still snoring lightly. She gently kisses the tip of the brunette's nose before carefully sliding her arm out from underneath her head and rising from the bed. She glances at the clock as she exits her bedroom and heads downstairs. 3:30.

She stretches her arms over her head as she enters the living room. She finds her mother in the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, mama. What are you doing home?"

"The diner wasn't very busy and I wanted to come and check on you. Is Beca feeling any better?"

"I don't really know. She's asleep in my room."

"You brought her here?" Elaine is clearly shocked.

"Uh, yeah. I told you I was bringing her to the house."

"I thought you meant her house. I don't know how I feel about you two being in your room when no one else is here."

"Mama she's sick! I brought her here because I didn't want to leave her. We aren't going to do anything!"

"Still. From now on if you two are alone, keep it in the living room and the kitchen, okay?"

Aubrey sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you. Anyway, what's wrong with her? Does she have a fever?"

"Yeah. I checked it before we fell asleep. It was almost 101 so I gave her some ibuprofen. She just has a headache and a fever."

"Hmm, it's probably just a cold. Are you two hungry? I can make something real quick."

"I'm starving. We didn't get to eat lunch today."

"Why not?"

Aubrey sits at the bar and sighs. "Some jerk poured an entire bottle of coke down the front of Beca's shirt and called her a 'dyke'. That's part of why we left. She was really upset."

Elaine pulls out a can of tomato soup and pours it into a pot on the stove to heat. She turns to Aubrey. "That's horrible. He got in trouble, right?"

"I don't even know. I was too worried about Beca. Let me text Chloe."

Aubrey picks up her phone to text the redhead as Elaine turns back to the stove and goes about making grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls.

Just as she sets a plate and a bowl in front of the blonde, Beca shuffles into the kitchen. Aubrey pulls out the stool next to her and Beca climbs onto it. Aubrey puts her arm around the girl's shoulders and gently urges her to lean into her side. "Hey, baby. Feeling any better?"

Beca leans gratefully against the blonde and lets her head fall against her shoulder. "A bit. My head isn't pounding anymore at least."

"Well, you should know that Chloe just told me Jesse got suspended."

Beca's head snapped up. "What? Why?"

Aubrey smirked. "He punched Richard, who also got suspended."

Beca was wide eyed. "Why the heck would Jesse do that?"

"Because as anti-social as you are, they're your friends just as much as they are mine," Aubrey teases the brunette in an attempt to cheer her up.

Elaine leans back against the counter as she watches the two interact. She honestly amazed at the level of caring she sees between the two girls. It's obvious they both care about each other more than she could have imagined was possible in such a short time.


	5. Chapter 5

Something is different. Aubrey can't exactly put her finger on it. But something just feels different.

Over the past month, the silences between them haven't been quite as comfortable as they used to be. There's an underlying tension. She can't figure out what's different, but it's driving her crazy.

The nights in the alcove just aren't the same. They still watch the stars together but neither one of them is really seeing the sky. It just feels like they are counting down the minutes until they can escape the awkwardness.

* * *

The diner is typically slow on Mondays and Tuesdays. This Tuesday was no exception. There was currently only one booth occupied and even that family was almost finished.

Normally the two lovebirds would fill the gaps between customers with sitting at the counter together and talking. Today, they seemed to be finding ways to occupy themselves just so they didn't have to talk to each other.

This didn't go unnoticed by Aubrey's parents and Chloe. They tried to stay out of it as best they could. No need to stick their noses into the affairs of the young couple.

But after that one family left, they did end up having to intervene.

"What the hell is your problem?" Aubrey snapped suddenly.

"I don't have a problem," Beca replied instantly.

"Obviously you do or you wouldn't be fucking avoiding me."

The other occupants of the diner watched from behind the safety of the counter, Chloe sliding behind Elaine upon noticing the look in Aubrey's eyes. She wasn't afraid of the blonde, but that look of angry intensity was one that she recognized and happy memories didn't usually follow it.

"Sounds like you're the one with the problem," Beca responded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" There was a dangerous fire burning in Aubrey's eyes.

"Maybe you're the one with the problem. Did you ever stop to think about that? No. You know what? Maybe this relationship is the problem," Beca slammed the dishes she had been clearing down onto the tabletop.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Aubrey entire demeanor crumbled.

Beca closed her eyes as she let her breath out in a dejected rush.

"I can't take this, Aubrey."

"Take what?" the blonde asked desperately.

"This. Us. It isn't me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Aubrey, you're the 'it' girl. The one everyone wants to date. The one everyone wants to be. I can't live up to that."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Not yet, but eventually you will. Aubrey, I am a nobody. Even my own aunt didn't fucking want me. I can't ask you to make yourself one too."

"You haven't. Beca, please," Aubrey pleaded. Tears were streaming down both of their faces now.

"Aubrey, my entire life I have felt like nothing. I have been belittled and degraded all because my parents died. My life sucks. And after that jerk at school, I see now that that will never change. I thought that with you things would be different. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I had found someone who could change that. Someone that could help me be something—feel like something- more than a goddamn orphan."

"Beca…" Aubrey began only to be cut off.

"No. Let me finish," the brunette turned away from the blonde's gaze. She stared at the sign above the door of the hardware store across the street. "You changed me, Aubrey. You made me feel like everything that has happened to me up to this point didn't matter. That being an orphan, that being hated by everyone, didn't matter. And I love you for that."

Beca turned to face the blonde once again. "But, that's not enough. Because what you think of me. And how I think of myself. Those are two different things. And neither one will change what they think of me," she waves her arm toward the street. Aubrey knows she means everyone else at school and in the town. "It doesn't change what I am. I am a nobody. I always have been and I always will be. I'm not going to let you be one too. I'm sorry. But it's over."

Beca rushes out of the restaurant, throwing her apron on one of the tables on her way out.

The stunned trio behind the counter snaps out of their stupor as the blonde sinks to sit in the closest booth. She sobs as her head drops into her hands. Chloe has tears pouring down her own face. Elaine rushes to sit next to her daughter and pulls her into an embrace. She rocks the girl in a soothing manner while stroking the blonde hair.

Thomas walks to the door and locks it before flipping the _Open_ sign to _Closed._

His heart is breaking for both of the girls. It breaks at the sight of his sobbing daughter. He holds no anger toward Beca. He understands why the brunette did what she did, which is exactly why his heart breaks for her as well.

* * *

Beca runs. She doesn't know where she is going. She doesn't care. She just has to get away. To outrun her breaking heart. Maybe if she runs fast enough it will just stop. Stop hurting so fucking much. Stop beating. Stop pumping the blood that is pounding in her ears. Stop killing her from the inside.

She knows it stupid. She knows she's an idiot. But she had to. _Right?_ She couldn't do that to the blonde. Aubrey deserved better. She deserved someone who wouldn't drag her down. Someone as popular as she was. Someone who _was_ a someone. Someone like Richard Stowe.

She runs harder at the thought. She pays no attention to the tears that fall in a constant stream. She just runs.

* * *

She finds herself in a café. It's just a little family owned café. But it reminds her so much of the diner. And god, how that fucking hurts.

Maybe that's why she sits there. To torture herself for hurting the blonde. To get what she deserves for putting that heartbroken look on Aubrey's face. That expression that is scorched into the cracks on her heart.

She hates herself for letting the first time she told Aubrey she loved her also be the last time. For saying it as she ripped both their hearts out and fucking stomped on them.

She hates herself for running. It's become a habit, part of living in the shitty mess that is the foster system. When the shit hits the fan, you run. You don't stick around because that is what gets you hurt.

She's a coward. She knows it.

She runs.

* * *

When they pulled into the driveway, Elaine helped her daughter out of the car and led the younger blonde to her bedroom. She helps the girl settle in the bed before sitting on the edge.

"She'll come around, sweetie. She loves you. And I know you love her. It will all work out."

She placed a kiss on the blonde locks before slipping out of the room. Silent tears slide from closed eyes.

* * *

By the time she makes it back to her own house, Beca is exhausted. She walks through the door to find the entire house a mess. Her foster dad was a hotheaded idiot when he was drunk. He wasn't directly abusive. Just liked to pitch tantrums and throw things. And if he happened to hit you with whatever he threw, well that was your fault for not moving.

She stepped over the shattered remnants of a broken beer bottle and walked straight past the living room where she knew the couple laid passed out. She went up to the bathroom and turned on the water.

She stripped and stepped under the cold spray. She turned her face toward the showerhead and let her hot tears slide away with the cold water.

She quickly finished in the shower and shut off the water. She wrapped a towel around her torso before heading to her bedroom. She pulled out a pair of shorts and the school-logo-emblazoned hoodie she had stolen from the blonde. She quickly donned the articles before falling face first onto the bed.

Maybe tomorrow it wouldn't hurt so fucking much.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm feeling pretty good this weekend so how about another chapter?**

 **Chapter 6**

Aubrey was startled when her phone started vibrating in her hand. She had fallen asleep while scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed. She squinted at the screen trying to read the caller id. When her eyes failed to adjust enough to let her see the screen, she gave up and slid her thumb across the screen to answer.

She held the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Her voice was heavy with sleep.

"Aubrey."

She immediately shot up in bed. "Beca? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Outside. Open your window."

The blonde was confused as she turned on the lamp and got out of bed to obey. She drew the blinds up and saw Beca standing in the pouring rain. She unlocked the window and slid the pane up as far as it would go.

Beca stepped forward and, without saying a word, immediately began climbing through the window. Aubrey helped her as she climbed down from the wooden desk that was situated right in front of the window. She shut the window before turning to look at the trembling brunette. Initially, she had thought the brunette was shaking from the cold rain. Now that they stood together in the light of her bedroom, she could tell the girl was sobbing. She gently pushed Beca down into the desk chair before kneeling in front of her.

The girl's hair was covering half of her face. That was how she missed it at first.

But as she brushed the soaked locks from Beca's face she gasped. There was an angry red handprint across the left side of her face. The girl's cheek was slightly swollen and starting to bruise.

"Oh my god. Beca, what the hell happened?" she brushed her fingers lightly across the forming bruise, quickly pulling away when Beca hissed in pain.

"He thought…I stole a…bottle…of…vodka…from him," the brunette managed between gasps for breath. She was trying desperately to get a grip over herself.

"Your foster dad?"

Beca simply nodded.

Aubrey was livid, but she made sure not to show it. Dealing with the bastard would come later; right now she needed to take care of Beca.

She took a calming breath before standing from her position. She pulled a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants from her dresser before coming back to the broken girl.

"Stand up, honey." She helped the brunette out of her shirt. Unfortunately, the rain had soaked all the way through her top to her bra. As Aubrey undid the clasp of Beca's bra and Beca let it slide down her arms, sex was the furthest thing from either of their minds. She slid the t-shirt over Beca's head and the brunette pushed her arms through.

She unfastened Beca's jeans and pushed them down her legs. The brunette stepped out of the pants and into the sweats as Aubrey held them out for her. She pulled them up the girl's legs as she stood.

She drew Beca into her arms. She held her for a moment before turning her towards the bed. "Lay down. I'm going to get some ice."

She returned a few moments later to find the brunette standing exactly where she had left her. By now Beca had managed to calm enough that she was only plagued by the occasional hiccupping breath rather than the all out sobs of a few minutes ago.

She set the dish-towel-wrapped ice pack down on the nightstand before approaching Beca. She placed her hands gently on her shoulders and nudged her towards the bed. When Beca sat on the edge of the mattress, she guided her to lay flat on her back. She picked up the ice pack and walked around the bed, climbing in on the other side. She urged Beca to turn towards her and gently placed the ice pack against her swollen cheek holding it there with her own hand.

They lay together, facing each other, their gazes locked in the dim light coming from the nightlight in the hallway.

"I'm sorry," Beca whispered.

"I know."

"I love you."

Aubrey smiled softly. "I love you, too."

She kissed her gently before pulling away and laying her head back down.

Beca eventually fell asleep, exhausted from the events.

Aubrey watched her as her eyes drifted shut and her breathing evened out.

"I love you, too," she repeated as she kissed the girl on the forehead before closing her own eyes and falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Elaine walked past Aubrey's bedroom on her way to the kitchen that morning, she did a double take. While not necessarily thrilled about the two sharing a bed, she was ecstatic to see the brunette. Aubrey had done nothing but mope for the past week, so it was good to see that everything had indeed righted itself.

In fact, she was so excited she automatically turned in her tracks and ran back towards the master bedroom. "Thomas, get up! Come on!"

The man only grunted before turning over and sticking his head under the pillow.

"Thomas, I swear to god if you don't get your butt up…" she left the threat hanging.

"Ugh. Fine. I'm up. I'm up. What's so important it couldn't wait until a decent hour?" he groaned as he stretched his arms above his head while sitting up.

Elaine looked at him in disbelief. "It's 10:00." She shook her head before grabbing his forearm and hauling him down the hallway. "Come on. You've gotta see this."

"You know, Sunday is my only day to sleep late. You'd think you could grant a man that simple pleasure," he grumbled as he was dragged down the hall. He was confused when they stopped outside Aubrey's bedroom. "Why do I need to see Aubrey?"

"Just look, you fool."

He sighed in exasperation before choking as he noticed there were two figures in the bed. "Why the hell is she in bed with my little girl?" he whisper yelled at his wife.

"Oh get over that for a minute. They're obviously wearing clothes. But look they're back together." Thomas couldn't believe his wife was so nonchalant about the scene before them.

"If that girl has defiled my baby…"

"Oh, shut up. You aren't going to do anything and you know it. You love Beca just as much as I do," Elaine smirked knowingly at him.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just go start the coffee," he grumbled good-naturedly.

After Elaine had walked away, laughing as she went, he stood in the doorway for a moment more. It was true. He had grown quite fond of the brunette. He smiled at the pair as they unconsciously moved closer to each other. The smile stayed in place as he went to join his wife in the kitchen.

* * *

When Beca opened her eyes, she was mildly startled at the closeness of the blonde's face to her own. Aubrey was still asleep.

She raised her hand and gently brushed the blonde hair away from the girl's eyes. She felt guilty when her eyelids fluttered open. That guilt was eased when the blonde flashed a loving smile at her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. You're much gentler about it than my dad normally is. He usually throws a pillow at me."

Beca chuckled before yawning. Aubrey saw the wince she tried to cover.

"Your cheek is bruised," Aubrey stated.

"No shit, babe. It hurts like hell." She hissed as Aubrey reached up and gently skimmed her fingers over the bruised skin.

"Why the fuck do you insist on touching it?"

Aubrey looked genuinely puzzled but also kind of amused by the question. "I really don't know. I just want to make it better but I honestly don't have a clue as to why I seem to think touching it will help."

Beca shook her head as she smirked. "If you really want to do something get me some more ice. And some pain killers."

Aubrey looked at the clock. "We should probably get up anyway. It's almost 11."

She rolled over and rose from the bed. She giggled as the brunette groaned and playfully tried to grab her arm to pull her back down.

* * *

As they shuffled into the living room, they noticed Thomas sitting in the recliner, cup of coffee in hand as he flipped through the TV channels. Elaine sat on the sofa, book open in front of her but she wasn't reading. Instead she bickered with Thomas.

"Would you pick something already? You're driving me crazy."

"Well there's nothing I want to watch on."

"Exactly, so just pick something and deal with it."

Elaine looked away from the television when she saw the girls had stopped between the hall and the doorway. "Morning, girls."

Aubrey had one hand behind her back. Elaine knew it was probably tangled with Beca's. The smaller girl was standing behind Aubrey, her head turned toward the floor.

Thomas looked away from the television. "Come sit down with us, girls. Keep her off my back." He gestured towards Elaine with his thumb. He managed to knock the pillow she threw at him out of the air before he spilled his coffee.

"We're gonna go eat first."

"Okay, there are pancakes in the microwave," Elaine told them as she picked up her book to resume reading.

When they were in the kitchen, Beca settled onto a stool at the counter while Aubrey went and fixed them each a plate and poured them a glass of orange juice to share. Before taking her own seat, she grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen from the cabinet above the stove and gave it to Beca. As Beca took some of the pain killers, Aubrey took an ice pack from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. She handed it to Beca as she took to the stool next to her and they began eating.

"We need to tell them," Aubrey said as soon as they finished eating.

"I know." She took a deep breath before sliding off the stool. "Let's get it over with."

Aubrey placed their dishes in the dishwasher before grabbing the girl's hand and leading her towards the living room.

"Mama, Daddy," the blonde called their attention as they stepped into the room.

When both parents looked at the pair, Aubrey turned around to face Beca. She gave her a reassuring smile as they locked gazes. They held each other's gaze as Aubrey reached up. She gently brushed the brunette locks away from where they covered the bruised cheek, never looking away from the blue eyes.

Both Elaine and Thomas gasped as the injury was revealed. Elaine practically jumped to her feet and rushed to stand next to the girls. She grasped Beca's chin and turned the girl's face to look at the extent of the bruise. It was still swollen but not as bad as it had been the night before. The skin covering Beca's left cheekbone was a shade of bluish purple.

Thomas came to stand next to his wife, placing a hand on her back. He made eye contact with the girl before speaking. "Beca, what happened?"

Beca looked away as she answered. "My foster father."

Elaine led the girl to sit on the wooden coffee table as she sat in front of her on the edge of the couch. Thomas came to sit next to his wife and Aubrey took a seat on the table next to Beca.

"When did this happen?"

"Last night."

"Why?"

"He thought I stole a bottle of vodka from him."

"And you didn't?" Thomas trusted the girl but he knew that she had been just as upset as Aubrey this past week. Everyone has a breaking point.

"No. His wife drank it." A few tears slid down the girl's cheeks. Aubrey placed a hand on her back.

"Is this the first time something like this has happened?"

Beca nodded and Elaine sighed in relief. She felt a little better knowing the girl hasn't been in such danger this whole time.

She looked at Thomas, lost as to what their next step should be.

"Beca, we have to report this."

Beca's head whipped up at that. "No. No. Please, you can't tell," there was desperation in the blue eyes. "They'd make me move again. I turn 18 in two weeks. I can leave then. I can be done with it. Just please don't tell. I can't lose Aubrey. I can't."

She broke off in sobs, turning towards the aforementioned blonde and burying her face in her shoulder as she shook. Aubrey wrapped her arms tightly around the girl.

Thomas looked at Elaine this time. They held a silent conversation with their eyes.

Elaine spoke up. "Okay. Okay, sweetie. We won't tell." She placed a comforting hand on Beca's knee. "But we are not about to let you go back to that house. You're going to stay with us. Okay?"

Beca let go of Aubrey as she quickly nodded her head and fell forward into Elaine's arms. She let herself be comforted by the embrace only a mother could offer.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: So this is going to be it for this story. I feel like if I even try to take it any further, it will be completely off the wall. I do have a couple ideas for one-shots, so I'll try to get those written and posted sometime within the next couple weeks (really depends on how hard school hammers me with work from here until Christmas break). Thanks for reading and your reviews mean a lot to me!**_

 _ **Also, in case you didn't know, you can find me on Tumblr at tightrope-inthe-closet43! Send me a message on here or on Tumblr if you'd like (I'm always bored and would love to chat).**_

 _ **I present to you: the final chapter of Breaking the Horizon:**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

Two days later, they went to get Beca's stuff. Aubrey and Beca pulled into the driveway in the gray Dodge, followed by Thomas and Brandon in Brandon's red Ford 250.

They got out of the trucks and walked up to the front porch. Aubrey turned Beca to face her. "Are they home?"

"I don't know. I can't tell. They usually park in the garage. If they are home, I'm sure they're passed out."

Beca turned back to the door and opened it; the rest followed her into the house. She stopped and looked into the living room to find the couple was indeed passed out. "We've got plenty of time. They'll be out for hours."

She led the group up to her room to start packing her stuff up. She handed Thomas and Brandon a duffle bag and told them to put her books and shoes in it, while she and Aubrey worked on packing her clothes into a different bag.

When they finished packing Beca's small amount of belongings, they made to leave the house. They were stopped in the entryway when Mike, her foster father, suddenly grabbed Beca's wrist. Aubrey immediately went to stand beside Beca but was stopped by the brunette putting an arm in front of her and pushing her slightly behind her in a protective gesture.

Thomas and Brandon stood tensely in the doorway, ready to intervene. They watched the small girl glare fiercely at the drunken man. Mike was an imposing figure. Standing just over 6 feet tall and grossly overweight, he towered over the girl. Yet, if Beca was afraid, she sure as hell didn't show it.

"Where do you think you're going, bitch?"

If anything Beca's glare hardened as she pushed Aubrey further behind her. "I'm leaving."

"Like hell you are." Mike began trying to drag Beca into the living room. The brunette resisted with every muscle she had control over and managed to rip her arm free of his grasp.

Mike stopped in his tracks and turned to face the girl, a look of complete and total fury passed over his face. Suddenly, he struck, slapping Beca across her already bruised cheek.

Beca fall to the floor with the force of the slap, Aubrey automatically moving to squat down beside her.

Brandon rushed past the two girls and shoved the man against the wall. He held him there with a forearm pressed harshly against his throat, slightly cutting off his air supply. Mike drunkenly struggled for a minute before finally seeming to give up. That didn't stop Brandon though, he maintained the pressure, and he held the man there as Thomas and Aubrey helped Beca up from the floor.

Just as Brandon readied to punch Mike, Beca rushed to catch him by the elbow. "Brandon, he's not worth it. Let's just get out of here."

Brandon looked in the girl's eyes, seeing the frustration but also the resignation. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before letting his fist drop back to his side and removing his arm from Mike's throat. The man fell to his knees, gasping for air.

The group picked up the bags and began to walk out the door. Beca herself stopped them this time.

"You know what, hang on." She handed the bag she held off to Thomas and turned to go back into the house. The group watched through the open doorway as Beca stopped in front of the man on his knees.

She suddenly reared back a foot and kicked the man in the nether regions. She stooped over the man as he lay on his side on the floor writhing and moaning in pain. "Leave me the fuck alone. You'll get your damn check if you just leave me the fuck alone."

She turned on her heel and strode out to meet the awed group. "Let's go." She walked past the open-mouthed group and went straight to the passenger side of the Dodge, climbing into the seat and glaring out the windshield.

The group glanced at each other before heading to their respective trucks and tossing the bags they carried into the beds.

Aubrey looked at Beca as she settled into the driver's seat. "Look at me, baby."

Beca turned to meet her gaze. Aubrey's eyes scanned the bruised cheek. Once again, there was an angry red mark. She knew the already formed bruise would turn an even darker shade of purple. She leaned over and kissed the frown from Beca's lips.

"That was hot," she tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah?"

"Totally. You should beat people up more often."

"Get off on it, do you?" Beca teased.

"Oh, yeah," the blonde playfully let her eyes roll back into her head in mock pleasure. "But seriously, how do you feel?"

Beca sobered. "Better. A lot better. That felt good."

"I can imagine."

Beca slid over to sit in the seat between the driver's and passenger's seat, pressing herself against the blonde's side. "Let's get out of here."

Aubrey kissed her. "Of course."

She started the truck and pulled away from the curb, heading back towards the Posen family's house.

* * *

After they had gotten Beca settled in the guest bedroom, the family had all congregated in the living room and just enjoyed each others' presence. It had somehow turned into a game night, with everyone gathered around the coffee table to play board and card games. They had played well into the evening and decided to call it a day when Brandon was discovered to literally be cheating at Life. They went their separate ways to get ready for bed and by now they had each settled into their respective sleeping quarters. Well…almost everyone had.

"Aubrey, go to your own room. Don't make me put you in the basement and bring Brandon up here," Elaine called from the master bedroom.

"Ugh," the blonde groaned from her position in Beca's bed. "Fine," she called back as Beca smirked.

"Don't worry. I'll still be here tomorrow," the brunette reassured.

"I know, but I don't want to leave you now. You're warm."

"Aubrey," Elaine warned.

"I'm going," the blonde teen called back exasperatedly. "Gosh, she's annoying," she mumbled to the brunette.

Beca chuckled before pecking the blonde on the lips. "Go. I'd hate to see you demoted to the basement."

The blonde rose from the bed before leaning down to kiss Beca one last time. "Good night, baby." She turned and headed for the door.

"Good night. Oh, Bree?"

The blonde turned in the doorway to see her girlfriend who had sat up on the bed. "Yeah?"

Beca smiled. "I love you."

Aubrey smiled in return. "I love you, too." She turned to leave the room. She murmured another "Good night" as she pulled the door closed behind her.

Beca flopped back on the mattress and smiled at the ceiling. As she turned onto her side and closed her eyes to welcome sleep, she still couldn't wipe the smile from her face. For the first time in a really long time, Beca felt…at home.


End file.
